HIS seminar #11 - Sensors & Monitoring: sensor networks, in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/seminars/2008-05-28_his-seminar_11.htm>

The 11^th seminar dealt with sensors & monitoring. Dr Platon (JSPS fellow, NII) presented his research on data retrieval and his research on sensor networks at 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics).

Slides of the presentations:

• Dr PLATON Eric: Working on Security in Wireless Sensor Networks (PDF)
  

Date: 28 May 2008 (10:00-11:15)
Location: 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics), Tokyo, Japan
Language: English
Registration fees: None
Attendees: 5 persons
Organization: Dr DUVAL Sébastien, 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics)

HIS seminar #10 - Data Processing: data retrieval and multilingual opinion analysis, in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/seminars/2008-02-26_his-seminar_10.htm>

The 10^th seminar dealt with data processing. Dr Evans (NII) presented his group's activities on data retrieval and his research on multilingual opinion analysis at the 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics).

Slides of the presentations:

• Dr EVANS David: Overview of the NTCIR Information Access Evaluation Workshop (PDF)
• Dr EVANS David: Multilingual Opinion Analysis at the NTCIR Evaluation (PDF)
  

Date: 26 February 2008 (15:30-17:00)
Location: 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics), Tokyo, Japan
Language: English
Registration fees: None
Attendees: 8 persons
Organization: Dr DUVAL Sébastien, 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics)

Funds to visit Japan for research from 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation)

Source: 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation) <http://www.iisf.or.jp/subsidize-en.html>

Researchers may request funds from 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation) before 30 June 2008 to visit Japan between 01 September 2008 and 31 March 2009. The age limit is 40 year old, and the research field must fall under the general heading of information or computer science.

The following selection will be in 2009.

Consumerism and the Rise of Balloons in Europe at the End of the Eighteenth Century

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/themes/scientific-dissemination.htm#rise-ballons-18-century>

In Consumerism and the Rise of Balloons in Europe at the End of the Eighteenth Century published in the journal Science in Context (2008), Michael R. LYNN highlights how scientists marketed their work to the general public and how it consequently influenced aeronautics in France and Britain during the last twenty years of the 18th century.

Initially, novelty attracted people but later various tactics appeared necessary:

• proving the scientific utility of balloons,
• adding attendees' names to experimental reports,
• providing details (e.g. shape) about the machines,
• selling tickets for separate phases of operation (construction, inflation, launch),
• creating exotic shapes (e.g. pyramid, Chinese temple),
• enlarging the event with dance, food, teaching about physics, dropping animals then humans in parachutes,
• launching fireworks from balloons,
• and selling treatises.

Attracting the general public was important because (1) building and inflating balloons was expensive and (2) usual scientific patrons barely supported ballooning. Unfortunately, the public's lack of interest in experiments led to entertainment superseding science.

NPO法人ウェアラブルコンピュータ研究開発機構定例会 (regular meeting of the Wearable Computer Research & Development NPO) held in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

In the frame of its regular activities, NPO法人ウェアラブルコンピュータ研究開発機構定例会 (Wearable Computer Research & Development NPO) organised a 4h30 seminar entitled 離陸直前のウェアラブルの諸相 (Various perspectives on wearable computers before takeoff) at 秋葉原ダイビル (Akihabara Daibiru) in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan) on 13 December 2007. It described the state of the art in 2007 and recent Japanese works.

During his talk ウェアラブル離陸直前 (Wearable computers before takeoff), 塚本昌彦 (TSUKAMOTO Masahiko) explained that the general public uses much more pocket computers (e.g. cellular phones, digital cameras, electronic dictionaries, music players) in everyday life and may adopt head-mounted displays as soon as 2008 at home if not in public places. He evoked three critical challenges discussed afterwards by other speakers: system platforms, safety and raw materials (e.g. textiles for smart clothing). As for his research, he still designs smart clothes. As a member of his team, 寺田努 (TERADA Tsutomu) introduced during his talk ウェアラブルのシステム (Wearable systems) an illuminated tree controlled by worn sensors and Wearable Toolkit, a toolkit to create rules for wearables based on sensor data.

During his talk ウェアラブルの安全性 (Safety of wearables), 河合隆史 (KAWAI Takashi) presented in depth investigations on head-mounted displays to understand their physiological and psychological effects on humans. To study fundamentals, his group carried out experiments with young adults in laboratories and outdoors, displaying combinations of stripes, which is standard for vision-related psychological experiments. Penetrating results will require much effort and should involve children and older adults to cover the influences of growth and decline, which is not planned yet.

During his talk ウェアラブルの素材 (Materials for wearables), 脇田玲 (WAKITA Akira) introduced several technologies to create color-changing clothes presented by others at Tokyo Fiber 2007 - Senseware in Paris (France) on 26-28 June 2007 or developed by his group. He then quickly evoked the potential for applications.

Finally two special talks were given: 人間のI/Oを拡張するためのインタフェース技術 (Interface technologies to extend human input/output) and 21 世紀の人類は「i-borg」になる！？：常時装用インタフェースによる脳力強化人間 (21st century humans become i-borg!? Usually worn interfaces that extend human intelligence). 稲見昌彦 (INAMI Masahiko) discussed novel and sometimes artistic input/output paths for human-computer systems, with numerous illustrations from his research, and concluded with a question: "After wearables, will we really get implants?". 福本雅朗 (FUKUMOTO Masaaki) discussed replacements for usual elements of Japanese cellular phones, with a long focus on the detection of typing shocks (using fingers or feet) to replace keyboards with systems such as FingeRing and UbiButton.

The main participants were: 塚本昌彦 (TSUKAMOTO Masahiko) from 神戸大学 (Kobe university), 寺田努 (TERADA Tsutomu) from 神戸大学 (Kobe university), 河合隆史 (KAWAI Takashi) from 早稲田大学 (Waseda university), 脇田玲 (WAKITA Akira) from 慶應義塾大学 (Keio university), 稲見昌彦 (INAMI Masahiko) from 電気通信大学 (The university of electro-communications), and 福本雅朗 (FUKUMOTO Masaaki) from NTTドコモ (NTT Docomo).

HIS seminar #9 - Ubiquitous Computing: location-awareness in ubiquitous computing and human needs in wearable computing, in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/seminars/2007-10-04_his-seminar_9.htm>

The 9^th seminar dealt with ubiquitous computing. Mr Hoareau (SOKENDAI, NII) and Dr Duval (NII) presented, respectively, location-awareness in ubiquitous computing and human needs in wearable computing at the 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics).

Slides of the presentations:

• Mr HOAREAU Christian: Ubiquitous Computing, Location-Awareness and Query Processing (PDF)
• Dr DUVAL Sébastien: Needs in Wearable Computing: a User-centred Approach (PDF)
  

Date: 04 October 2007 (15:30-17:30)
Location: 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics), Tokyo, Japan
Language: English
Registration fees: None
Attendees: 10 persons
Organization: Dr DUVAL Sébastien (国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics))

IBM avatars to visualize and interact with medical records in 3D

IBM announced on 26 September 2007 the creation of the Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME), a prototype software that allows medical doctors to visualize medical records as a 3D avatar and to interact with it. The system enables intuitive anatomical queries for a specific patient, with e.g. zooming used to narrow the query space. Possible results include related text records, results of laboratory analyses or medical images such as radiographs. One IBM Researcher compared the service to Google Earth, which is currently dedicated to geographical and astronomical data.

Using advanced machine learning and state-of-the-art 3-D modeling techniques, the IBM researchers are working to overcome key technical challenges including integrating heterogeneous data sources and complex text-based information—so-called unstructured data—and linking that data to the anatomical model in a meaningful and easy-to-navigate way. ASME also uses SNOMED, the systemized nomenclature of medicine that encompasses approximately 300,000 medical terms, to create a bridge between graphical concepts and text documents...
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